Inclosed fused switch



Feb. 9, 1932.. J. SACHS INCLOSED FUSED SWITCH Filed Jan. l5. 1931[271/527 Z172 JUEE/yz 555225 jjj/1f. f/

Patented Feb. 9, 1932V UNITED STATES AJOSEPH SACHS, OF WEST HARTFORD,CONNEGTIUT INcLosEn rUsED SWITCH Application led January 15, 1931.

The invention relates particularly to an inclosed fused switch havingthe fuse contacts and the switch parts arranged to be respectivelyaccessible and inaccessible throug an opening in the front cover or wallof th inclosing cabinet, having a fuse or auxiliary cover for closingthe opening in theI front wall and normally preventing access to thefuse contacts, and having interlocking means for preventing opening ofthe auxiliary'cover when the switch is closed and for prevent'- ingclosing of the switch when the auxiliary cover is 0 n. p

One of the objects of the present invention is to provide an improvedinclosed fused switchof the type described having an auX- iliary covermovable parallellywitlr the plane of the main cover and adapted to beunlocked as the result of a relatively small lateral movement and thenbe moved in another direction, preferablyvertically, to an openposition.l 1

' A further object of the invention is to provide certain improvedstructural features the foregoing major object is at- -5 whereby tained.

In the accompanying drawings I- have'.

shown the embodiment of the invention which I now prefer, but it will beunderstood that the drawings are intended for illustr'ative purposesonly and are not to be construed as defining or limiting the scope `ofthe invention, the claims forming a part of this specification beingrelied upon for -not narrowly limit myself but in order to Serial No.508,943.

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view taken along the line 55 of Fig. 1. As concerns the details of the cabinet to which the`invention may be applied, I do clearly illustrate the invention I haveshown a cabinet 1 of conventional form having a back wall 2, side walls,end walls 4, and a front wall 5. Ordinarily and preferably the frontwall 5is in the form of an 'openable cover pivoted at 6, 6 to one of thewalls 4 asl for instance the bottom end wall. The cover may be held inclosed position by any usual or preferred f ineans such as a latch. Thefront wall 5, whether constructed in the formy ,of an openable cover orotherwise, has an opening such as 7 therein.

Mounted; within `the cabinet is a fused switch mechanism so arrangedthat the fuse contacts are accessible from the exterior of the cabinetthrough the opening 7 when the cover 5 is closed and so arranged thatthe switch parts are inaccessible through the said opening when thecover is closed. The details of the fused switch mechanism may be widelyvaried and I do not limit myself to a fused switch mechanism of anyparticular form. However, for the purpose of clearly illustrating theinvention I have shown a fused switch of the type disclosed in mypatent. for electric' circuit controlling appliance, No. 1,754,445? Thefused switch as shown comprises a base 8 of insulating material which isso mounted within the cabinet as to close the opening 7 in the frontcover' 5. Carried by the base 8 at 80 the front thereof are Vpairs offuse receiving contacts such as 9, 9 these contacts being accessiblefrom the exterior of the cabinet through the opening 7.

The switch mechanism within the cabinet comprises stationary switchcontacts 10 and 11 some of which may be electrically connected with therespective fuse contacts 9, 9. In'

addition to the stationary switch contacts 10 and 11 theswitch comprisesmovable contacts 90 locks the auxiliary cover and it is then mov-v 12and 13 carried by rectilinearly movable insulating elements 14.

There is provided an operating means for the switch mechanism whichincludes a handle on the exterior of 'the cabinet, this handle beingadjacent one side wall 3 of the cabinet, as for instance the'right sidewall, and being movable in a plane parallel therewith. As illustratedthere isa switch operating spindle having a cranked portion 15 whichextends into slots 16vformed in the insulating elements 14 of theswitching members. The spindle is mounted in bearing apertures in theside walls 3 of the cabinet and it terminates in a handle 17 movable asalready described in a plane parallel with the adj acent side wall ofthe cabinet. When the handle 17 is in the position shown by full linesin Figs. 1, 2 and 5 the switch is in closed position. When the handle ismoved to the position shown in Fig. 3 and shown by dot-anddash lines inFig.'2 the switch is in open position. Preferably a stop device 18 isprovided for limiting the movement of the handle 17 and for preventinglateral distortion of the said handle. r

In order to normally close the opening 7 in the front wall of thecabinet s o as to prevent access therethrough to the fuse contacts,there is rovided a movable auxiliary cover 19 which is parallel with themainvcover. The auxiliary cover 19'is guided for movement in parallelismwith the main cover laterally from itsnormal position in which it covers`the opening 7. This lateral movement-unable vertically to an openposition in which the openin 7 is uncovered. There is provided an interocking means which serves to prevent bodily movement of the cover out ofits first o r locked. position when the handle 17 is in itsswitch'closing position and which also serves to prevent movement of thehandle out of its switch opening position when the cover 17 is in itssecond or. unlocked position.

Preferably `the interlocking means is inl the form of a laterallymovable slide 20 on the main cover havinga normal position in which itis directly obstructed by the switch handle 17 when the latter is inswitch closing position and having a laterallyl projecting position inwhich it directly obstructs the handle against switch closing movement.The slide 2()"is preferably a fiat plate parallel with the main coverand movable rectilinearly relatively thereto. The slide is held in placeon the main cover and is guided by means of upper and lower horizontalguides. The upper guide Acomprises a rear bar 21 and a wider front strip22, and the lower guide comprises a rear bar 23 and a wider front strip24. rlhe slide 20 has an opening 25 therein which is of approximatelythe same size as the opening 7 in the main cover 'mately register withthe said opening 7 when the slide is in its laterally projectingposition.

The auxiliary 'cover 19 is connected with the slide 2O so as to movelaterally therewith, but it is nevertheless free to -move in anotherdirection, ordinarily vertically, with respect thereto when the sllde isin its laterally projecting position. The cover 19 lis preferably a fiat`plate located between the slide 20 and the main cover 5 and when it isso constructed and located the said slide is provided with verticalguides 26 and 27 which engage the cover 19 at the sides thereof to guideit for vertical rectilinear movement. The guides 26 and 27 may be thinflat strips of the same thickness as the cover 19 and they may besecured to the rear face of the slide 20v by spot welding or otherwise.In addition to the strips 26 and 27, there may be provided a third strip28 which serves asja spacing member between the right portion of theslide and the corresponding portion of the front cover 5. &\

The rear bar 23 of the lower horizontal guide is divided into two parts23a and 23b and between the said parts there is provided a space of theproperpwidth to permit the cover 19 to move vertically downward. Thecover 19 is notched at 19, and when the cover and slide are in theirnormal positions as shown in Fig. 1 the portion of the cover above thenotch 19a fits between the two horizontal guides and the portion of thecover at the right of the notch extends into the opening between'thebarsy 23a and 23h. When the parts are in these positions the switchhandle 17 is free to be moved to its switch closing positionas shown.With the handle in switch closing position the movement of the slidetoward the right is prevented and the auxiliary cover 19 is locked inits closed position by reason of its engagement with the bar 23a.

When the switch handle 17 is moved to its lower switch opening positionas shown in Fig. 3"the slide 20 is free to be moved to its projectingposition `as shown inthe said figure. This brings the opening 25 intoregister with the opening 7. The auxiliary cover 19 is held between theytwo guide strips 26 and 27 and is therefore moved toward the right to aposition in vertical register withl take place automatically by gravity,or it' may be controlled manually by means of a knob 29 secured to thecover 19 near the top thereof; With the parts in the positions shown inFig. 3 it will be apparent that thc and which is adapted to register orapproxi-switch handle 17 is locked against switch closing movement andthat the auxiliary cover 19, by reason of its position between the bars23a and 23b prevents lateral movement of the slide 20. When theauxiliary cover 19 is moved to its upper position by means of the knob29 the cover and slide can then be lnoved laterally toward the leftV andrestored to their` normal 'positions as shownl in Fig. 1. Then thehandle17 is free to be moved to its switchclosing position.

What I claim is:

1. In an inclosed fused switch, the combination of a cabinet having anopenable main coverwith an opening therein, fuse contacts and a switchwithin the cabinet respectively accessible and inaccessiblethrough thesaid opening when 'the cover vis closed, a switch operating handleadjacent one side wall of the cabinet and movable in -a plane paralleltherewith, a movable auxiliary cover parallel with the main cover andnormally covering the opening therein, means for guiding the auxiliarycover for movement in parallelism with the plane of the main coverlaterally from its said normal position and then vertically to an openosition, and means interlocking with the llandle for preventing the saidlateral movement of the auxiliary cover when the handle is, in switchclosing position and for preventing switch closing movement of thehandle when the auxiliary cover has been moved laterally.

2. In an inclosed fused switch, the combination of a cabinet having anopenable main cover with an opening therein, fuse contacts and a switchwithin the cabinet respectively accessible and inaccessible through thesaid opening when the cover is closed, a switch operating handleadjacent one side Wall of the cabinet and movable in a plane paralleltherewith, a laterally movable slide on the cover having a normalposition in which it is directly obstructed by the handle when in switchclosing position and having a lateral-1y projecting position in which itdirectlyobstructs the handle against switch closing movement,

an auxiliary cover for the main cover openv ing movable laterally withthe said slide and movable independently thereof to an open positionwhen the slide is in its said projecting position, the last'saidmovement being in parallelism with the plane of the main cover, andmeans on the main cover interlocking with the auxiliary cover to lholdit in closed position when the Vslide is in its normal position and toprevent lateral movement of the said auxiliary cover and the slide whenthe said cover is in' its said open position.

3. An inclosed fused switch as set forth in claim 2, wherein theindependent movement of the auxiliary cover is vertical.

4. An inclosed fused switch as set forth in claim 2, wherein the slideis horizontally movable rectilinearlyunder the control of horizontalguides on the main cover and

